U.S. Pat. No. 5,827,836 discloses retinoyl substituted glycerophophoethanolamines. It is stated that the compounds and salts thereof exhibit antitumor, anti-psoriatic and anti-inflammatory activities. A possible class of compounds has a fatty ether substituent in the 1-position, a retinoid ester (retinoyl) substituent in the 2-position and a phosphoethanolamine substituent in the 3-position. It is mentioned that some of the compounds can be presented in a liposome formulation.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,949 discloses a carcinostatic and immunostimulating agent containing a lysophospholipid and a phospholipid. Examples of compounds are 3-phosphorylcholine having a C5-22-acyloxy or C5-22-alkoxy substituent in the 1-position, and a hydrogen, hydroxy, C1-5-acyloxy or C1-5-alkoxy substituent in the 2-position. It is mentioned that the agents can be dispersed in the form of micelles or lipid vesicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,911 discloses nucleoside 5′-diphosphate conjugates of ether lipids which exhibit antiviral activity. The compounds may have a fatty ether/thioether substituent in the sn-1-position and a fatty acid ester substituent in the sn-2-position. The compounds are designed so as to penetrate the cell membrane whereafter the nucleoside drug is liberated by cleavage by intracellular phosphatases. It is furthermore suggested that the also liberated ether lipids may be subsequently cleaved by intracelluar phospholipase A2. It is suggested that the conjugates can be presented in the form of micelles which more easily can be taken up by macrophages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,622,392 discloses cytotoxic compounds of the nucleotide-lipid conjugate type.
ES 2 034 884 discloses 2-aza-phospholipider as PLA2 inhibitors. Similarly, de Haas et al (Biochem. Biophys. Acta, Lipid and Lipids Metabolism, 1167 (1993) No. 3, pp 281–288, discloses inhibition of pancreatic PLA2 by (R)-2-acylamino phospholipid analogues.
Hoffman et al., Blood, Vol. 63, No. 3 (March), 1984, pp 545–552, discloses the cytotoxicity of PAF and related alkyl-phospholipid analogues in human Leukemia cells.
WO 94/09014 discloses phosphoric acid esters as PLA2 inhibitors. A group of the inhibitors are 1-O-phospho-2-O—(C2-21-acyl)-(C12-24-alkanes).
Xia and Hui discloses the chemical synthesis of a series of ether phospholipids from D-mannitol and their properties as tumor-cytotoxic agents.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,985,854, U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,837, U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,796 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,089 describe prodrugs with enhanced penetration into cells, which are particular useful for treating a condition or disease in a human related to supranormal intracellular enzyme activity. The prodrugs may be sn-2-esters of lysophospholipids. Such drugs are designed so as to be cleaved by intracelluar phospholipase A2.
Vadas et al. (Infection and Immunity, 60 (1992) 3928–3931 and Am. J. Trop. Hyg. 49 (1993) 455–459) describe the induction of circulating PLA2 expression in humans with malaria infections caused by Plasmodium falciparum. 
Lux et al. (Biochem. Parasitology 111 (2000) 1–14) describe the anti-leishmania action of certain ether-lipid analogues which is believed to be caused by the interference with important biosyntheses of the parasite.